12Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13And He said to them, “It is written, [‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’] but you have made it a [‘den of thieves.’]” 14Then [the] blind and [the] lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. Matthew 21:12-14 (NKJV)
The physical temple in Jerusalem was built as place where people would come and pray to God. But the religious leaders in their greed for gain had turned the temple into a market place where they would profit from those who sold sacrificial animals to the people who needed them in worship. Because of this there was no more place and space for genuine prayer and for those who had truly come to worship since it was all hired out.
But Jesus came and cleared all the merchandisers out. It is to be noted that after Jesus cleared the temple of thieves then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
Today we are the temple of God. We ought to be a house of prayer where our focus is on God, a relationship, and fellowship with Him and not a market place where focus and busyness is on material things and personal gain and a relationship with physical and worldly desires. So Jesus in this temple that is our life and body is through His Word and Spirit clearing out every thought, attitude, intent and practice of me, myself, and what I can get out of this that’s worldly.
Then He makes room for what is godly to occupy and fill His temple. Only then can the people outside who need healing, and wholeness come and find completeness.
